Contact shoe for the third rail of electric cars



Feb.. 20, .1923; 1,446,106.

M I I W. A. U. SELTZER ET AL.

CONTACT SHOE FOR THE THIRD RAIT. 0F ELECTRIC CARS.

FILED NOV-25, 1922. 3 SHEETS-SHEET1- INVENTOR.

. ifafim, 1 6

' ATTORNEY.

Feb, 20; 1923.

CONTACT SHOE FOR THE THIRD RAIL 0F ELECTRIC CARS. FILED NOV-25,1922.

W120 s' l zfr 62 fluezgfrp INVENTOR.

A TTORN 1,446,106. W. A. U. SELTZER ET AL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Feb. 20; 1923. I I g 1,446,106. W. A. U. SELTZER ET AL.

CONTACT SH OE FOR THE THIR D RAIL 0F ELECTRIC CARS.

. FILED NOV.25, 1922.

. 3 SHEETSSHEET 3- ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 26, 1923.

WILLIAM A; U. snnrznn, or rnrnnnnnrnrrhnnn ononon to, snnrznn, onr nhs f 'DOVJNI'NGTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. I 1 z v CONTACT error: non THE THIRD BAIL" or nnnoTnIoioA-ns. a

Application filed November-25, i922. Serial no. ensues.

T016521 whom it mag concern Be it known. that we, i/VILLIAM SELTznn and Gnonen U. Snnrznn, citizensof the Uuitedtzitates, and residents, respec The usual type of contact shoe now almostuniversally employed merely includes a laterally projecting spring controlled plate member carried by the under frame of the cars, and adapted for-sliding contact beneath the third rails. It is a well known factthat these sliding type contact shoes quickly become worn away, due of course, to their slidingcontact with the third rail,

and it very frequently happens that after a,

these shoes are worn away to, a certain degree, a complete contact between the shoe and rail is not always provided. f In view of the above, it is therefore, the primarv object of this, the present invention, to provide an improved contact shoe, wherein the same is provided with a relatively large and side roller member suitably journaled in ball bearings carried by the shoes, the said roller engaging beneath or upon the third rail, which construction will adequately overcome the above mentioned objections.

The nature and advantages of the in vention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application, like numerals of reference 1ndicate similar parts in the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved shoe perse, the same being shown shoe per se. i I a lVit-h particular reference to the drawings,

piiiotally connected'to the usual shoev carrylng arm of the electric car; i U iflgure 2- lsa side elevatlonal-vlew of theidevice shown in Figure 1;- v

liligi rre 3-- is longitudinal crossfise tional view of the shoel per stay-the roller member being shown in elevation.

a Figure t is a transverse. sectional view upon the line 4;4E of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. a F gure 5- 1s a fragmentary end eleva f tional view of the shoe with the bearing block removed therefrom.

, 1 a v v rigure 6 1s a botton plan view of the angin is a transverse cross sectional riewupon the line 7- -7 of'Figure l, an Figure 8 is a bottom plan viewof one. of-the bea ring blocks carried by the shoe, for maintaining the roller bearings t proper position upon the shoe.

our device includes'the provision of a sub stantia-lly rectangular shaped metallic plate 1,,having anannular shaped head 2 formed 1 attheinner end thereof. The head2 the plate 1 is adapted to be pivotally connected to the usual supporting arm 3,.which supporting arm carries or has formedthere on a centralblock 4, which is, provided with I a vertical ,borefor the reception of a bolt 5, This b l is headed at its lower end as at 6, andis' adaptedioengage through 7 at thec'entral forward, portion withiuiithe head 2 of the plate 1. As shown, the bore 7 within thehead 2 is enlarged at its upper end. and as more clearly shown in Figure 2, the said bolt 5 engages through this bore 7 the head 6 thereof engaging the lower sur face of the said plate 1. Engaging over the upper endof this bolt 5 is a relatlvely strong. coiled spring 6 engaging at 1ts lower end upon the block 4. of the arm 3 and retained upon the bolt by a washer 8 and nut 9. The arm'S, the headed bolt 5, spring 6 and block 5 formed upon this arm 3 are all elements, which are now found inthe conventional type third rail contact shoe, and this structure is merely adapted for normally maintaining the shoe 1 in close contact with the surface of the third rail. It is therefore to be understood that these elements of con- The outer end of the plate 1 is reduced as at 11 so as to provide shoulders 12 at each side of the plate. Further, this plate 1 is transversely channeled as at 13, adjacent the inner side of the cut out portion or opening 10. Centrally beneath the reduced end 11 and channel 13 or the plate, the same is formed with roller bearing receiving sockets 1a, the said portions of the plate 1 being enlarged as 15 for this purpose. Positioned Within the sockets 1 1 of the enlargements 15 of the plate 1 are any desired form 0t roller bearing 16, and adapted to be received Within these roller bearings 16 are the pintle ends 1'? of a relatively en larged roller 17, this roller being of such dimensions as to have the surface thereoi to project above and beneath the top and bottom surfaces of the plate.

a means for retaining the said bearings 16 Within the enlargements 15 of the plate, there is provided transversely extend ing plates 18 positioned upon the reduced end 11 of the plate 12, and Within the channel 13 thereof, respectively. As more clearly shoWn in Figure 8, these plates 18 are also centrally enlarged as at 19, Which enlargements are provided With a suitable channel or groove 20 for receiving the upper end of the said roller bearings 16, These transverse members 18 are secured to the plate by suitable bolt connections 21.

The longitudinal sides of the opening 10 Within the plate 1, are suitably concaved as at 22, more clearly shown in Figure l. These concaved surfaces of the longitudinal sides of the opening 10 Within the plate allows for a free rotary movement of the roller 17 Within the said. opening. Further, the plate 10 is provided at a point between the roller 17 and head 2 With a pair of current take-off bolts or plugs 23.

In vieW of the above description, it Will at once be apparent, that We have provided masses an improved form of third rail contactshoe for electric cars wherein there is little, if any liability of the shoe to become so Worn as to impair the proper operating eil'iciency thereof, and While We have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made when desired Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat We claim as new is 2-- 1. In a device of the class described, a substantially rectangular shaped plate member having a head formed upon the inner end thereof, and adapted for pivotal. connection to the usual plate carrying arm of electric var, said plate member having a relatively large opening formed therein and adapted for the reception of a roller member suitably journaled Within said plate.

2. In a device of the class described, a substantially rectangular shaped plate member adapted for pivotal connection to the usual plate carrying arm of an electric car, a roller positioned Within an enlarged opening of the plate member and having pintles at the opposite ends thereof for free rotary movement Within bearings carried by said plate tures.

WILLIAM A. U. SEL ZER. GEORGE U. SELTZEB. 

